“Would you know how to open your Tesla’s doors if the car lost power? This question is now at the center of a federal safety investigation that’s drawing attention from both regulators and owners. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating whether electrically powered doors on certain Tesla models-particularly the Model Y-pose an entrapment risk when the vehicle’s electrical system fails. Reports of drivers and passengers being trapped after crashes or battery failures have fueled the probe, underscoring a critical gap in emergency preparedness for electric vehicles.
Tesla’s signature design has long included sleek, flush-mounted handles and button-operated latches, but they only work when electric power is available. If that power goes away due to a collision, fire, or dead low-voltage battery, occupants are forced to find and operate often hard-to-reach manual release mechanisms hidden in various model-specific locations: under the carpet in front of the rear seats on the Model S; perhaps buried under seat bases or tucked behind trim panels on the Model 3. The locations are described in the company’s manuals, but as Michael Brooks with the Center for Auto Safety points out, “It shouldn’t be a game of hide-and-seek.”
Those who don’t know about these releases can face severe consequences. In one case, a Model Y crash trapped Susmita Maddi inside in Leesburg, Va., as flames seeped into the cabin. Because emergency responders couldn’t find the mechanical release, they were forced to break out the windows, but by then the delay had caused lasting lung damage and third-degree burns on Maddi’s face. Three college students died in another incident involving a Tesla Cybertruck fire in California, where bystanders couldn’t open the doors. There have been over 140 consumer complaints since 2018 in NHTSA’s database for Tesla doors failing or sticking, including several incidents that trapped children and pets. “When you lose 12-volt power, there’s no way to get out unless you know or understand how to reach for that emergency latch,” said Calgary firefighter Randy Schmitz.
The growing awareness has spawned a cottage industry of owner-made videos and aftermarket solutions to make manual releases easier to find and operate. Some Tesla drivers now proactively teach family members how to use them, a step safety advocates recommend for anyone riding regularly in an EV. This is part of broader guidance on emergency exit features of electric vehicles, including familiarizing oneself ahead of time with the operation of powered and mechanical systems.
While the door probe looks at physical safety, Tesla has also been hot under the collar from regulators over its marketing language surrounding its driver-assistance features. The California Department of Motor Vehicles gave the company 90 days to stop using “Full Self-Driving” – or face a 30-day suspension of its dealer license in the state. A judge in California ruled that Tesla’s use of “Full Self-Driving” was “actually, unambiguously false and counterfactual” as the vehicles were only capable of level 2 driver assistance and require an attentive human driver. DMV Director Steve Gordon stated, “The DMV’s decision today confirms that the department will hold every vehicle manufacturer to the highest safety standards to keep California’s drivers, passengers and pedestrians protected.”
This crackdown follows years of complaints and investigations into Tesla’s claims, including marketing copy suggesting the system could handle trips “with no action required by the person in the driver’s seat.” The court found that such language misleads consumers into overestimating their car’s autonomy, eroding both Tesla-specific and generalized trust in the autonomous driving technology. As Elaine Borseth of the Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego succinctly put it, “It’s misleading to say it’s autopilot or full self driving when the driver still has to be paying attention.”
To Tesla owners, these developments carry practical implications and regulatory ones. On the safety side, knowing precisely where to find, and how to operate, a manual door release might be life-saving in a power-loss scenario. On the regulatory side, changes in marketing language might change the way that features are described in sales materials, through software updates, and in public communications. Both emphasize the importance of being informed-not just about the technology in the car but about how it’s presented and regulated.
